The Royalist Prisoners of Naseby.

Monday 1st July 2019 at Market Harborough.
July already! How did that happen? Where did the time go?
Another lovely morning as we set off for Market Harborough.

The terminus of this five mile arm (which was originally designed to go all the way to Northampton but never made it), ends in a pretty basin at Union Wharf. Mooring is available in the basin at £12.50 per night including an electical hookup and the very friendly staff said that there was a space that we could use.

We moored up and walked into the town. Market Harborough is a charming town full of fine old buildings and a number of old coaching inns.

The most special building is the old "Grammar School", built on pillars so that in "inclement weather" the local butter market stall holders could shelter under it. Hence, it is also known as the "Butter Cross".

On the left of the photograph is the church of St Dionysius, famous for being the place where over 3,000 royalist prisoners were kept after their defeat at the nearby battle of Naseby.
Sainsbury's, where M went for a "few bits", is built on the site of the original cattle market, a fact celebrated by this mural. In Cockermouth, the Sainsbury's there is also built on the site of the old cattle market.

We took the bus back to the wharf as M's "few bits" rather expanded into a very heavy load including some bottles of white wine for the warm summer evenings.

One of the former wharf buildings is now a very nice restaurant, which looked resplendent in the late afternoon sunshine.

Today: 4 miles, 0 locks and 1.9 hours.
Trip: 132 miles, 52 locks and 71.2 hours.